France's Ripoll leads foreign Boat Race invasion

A Frenchman is set to compete in the University Boat Race for the first time after Oxford yesterday named Bastien Ripoll in their eight for the 152nd version of the event on April 2. His inclusion, though, did nothing to hide the fact the Dark Blues, who won last year, go into this year's race with the unfamiliar tag of underdogs. Oxford and Cambridge announced two high-class eights containing no fewer than 11 foreign rowers for the 152nd University Boat Race on April 2.

Faced with Cambridge's recent impressive record in international competition Oxford's coach Sean Bowden said: "I guess we are the underdogs." No doubt part of Bowden's thinking is coloured by the fact that whereas his president, Barney Williams, is the only returning Blue to make the team, Cambridge can call on the services of no fewer than five hardened Boat Race veterans, including the British Olympic champion Kieran West.

Though the weight difference between the two crews is minimal this year, Cambridge will be also comforted by a 3lb a man advantage and the knowledge that they have a crew that can generate more power per stroke - as measured on the 2,000 metres ergometer test.

Bowden admitted that his crew were "physically less strong than last year's boat" but he knows that Williams, backed up by his fellow Olympic silver medallist Jake Wetzel and the massive American Jamie Schroeder, have the ability to pull out a race-winning performance.

Nevertheless, Cambridge believe this year's boat, with three outstanding German internationals, has the potential to be the best Light Blue crew ever. Tom James, at 21, the youngest of the Light Blues and a bronze medallist with a British eight at the world championships, said this Cambridge boat was "definitely the best crew I've ever rowed in".